Systems and methods for automatically recovering from malware attacks

ABSTRACT

The disclosed computer-implemented methods for automatically recovering from malware attacks may include (1) saving, in response to determining that a reputation of a process is unknown, a backup copy of a file on a remote storage device prior to allowing the process to modify the file; (2) determining, after the process has modified the file, that the process is potentially malicious; and (3) restoring, in response to determining that the process is potentially malicious, the backup copy of the file from the remote storage device. The provided methods may automatically recover computers from ransomware attacks and other malware attacks which encrypt file systems. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

BACKGROUND

Malware attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and aggressive.One type of malware is ransomware, also known as crypto-ransomware,which encrypts important files on a user's computing system and thenholds the encrypted files for ransom. When the user does not pay theransom, the important files remain encrypted, may be impossible toaccess, may be permanently lost, and/or may compromise functionality ofthe computing system. Recovery from this type of malware attack iscritical, complicated, and often impossible without a decryption key.The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need forsystems and methods for automatically recovering from malware attackssuch as ransomware.

SUMMARY

As will be described in greater detail below, the instant disclosuredescribes various systems and methods for automatically recovering frommalware attacks. In one example, a method for automatically recoveringfrom malware attacks may include (1) identifying, at a computing device,an attempt by a process to modify at least one file; (2) determiningthat the process has an unknown reputation; (3) saving, in response todetermining that the reputation of the process is unknown, a backup copyof the file on a remote storage device prior to allowing the process tomodify the file; (4) determining, after the process has modified thefile, that the process is potentially malicious; and (5) restoring, inresponse to determining that the process is potentially malicious, thebackup copy of the file from the remote storage device.

In some embodiments, the method may include tagging the backup copy ofthe file with metadata that indicates that the backup copy of the filewas created prior to allowing the process with the unknown reputation tomodify the file; and selecting, based on the metadata, the backup copyof the file for restoring the computing device.

In some examples, the method may include identifying the reputation ofthe process from at least one of the backup copy of the file and aprocess-modified version of the file. In some embodiments, the methodmay include deleting, responsive to identifying the reputation of theprocess, a process-modified version of the file. In further examples,the restoring is automatic in response to determining that the processis potentially malicious. The method may also include prompting a userfor permission to restore the backup copy of the file. Moreover, themethod may include identifying, based on the reputation of the process,a potential security risk associated with the process; and performing,in response to identifying the potential security risk, a securityaction in an attempt to ameliorate the potential security risk.

In one embodiment, a system for automatically recovering from malwareattacks may include several modules stored in memory, including (1) anidentifying module that identifies an attempt by a process to modify atleast one file; (2) a first determining module that determines that theprocess has an unknown reputation; (3) a saving module that saves, inresponse to determining that the reputation of the process is unknown, abackup copy of the file on a remote storage device prior to allowing theprocess to modify the file; (4) a second determining module thatdetermines, after the process has modified the file, that the process ispotentially malicious; (5) a restoring module that restores, in responseto determining that the process is potentially malicious, the backupcopy of the file from the remote storage device; and at least onephysical processor that executes the identifying module, the firstdetermining module, the saving module, the second determining module,and the restoring module.

In some examples, the above-described method may be encoded ascomputer-readable instructions on a non-transitory computer-readablemedium. For example, a computer-readable medium may include one or morecomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least oneprocessor of a computing device, may cause the computing device to (1)identify, at the computing device, an attempt by a process to modify atleast one file; (2) determine that the process has an unknownreputation; (3) save, in response to determining that the reputation ofthe process is unknown, a backup copy of the file on a remote storagedevice prior to allowing the process to modify the file; (4) determine,after the process has modified the file, that the process is potentiallymalicious; and (5) restore, in response to determining that the processis potentially malicious, the backup copy of the file from the remotestorage device.

Features from any of the above-mentioned embodiments may be used incombination with one another in accordance with the general principlesdescribed herein. These and other embodiments, features, and advantageswill be more fully understood upon reading the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of example embodiments andare a part of the specification. Together with the followingdescription, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principlesof the instant disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system for automaticallyrecovering from malware attacks.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an additional example system forautomatically recovering from malware attacks.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example method for automaticallyrecovering from malware attacks.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example computing system capable ofimplementing one or more of the embodiments described and/or illustratedherein.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example computing network capable ofimplementing one or more of the embodiments described and/or illustratedherein.

Throughout the drawings, identical reference characters and descriptionsindicate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. While theexample embodiments described herein are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have beenshown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detailherein. However, the example embodiments described herein are notintended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, theinstant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, andalternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods forautomatically recovering and restoring computing devices to known-goodstates following malware attacks, such as ransomware attacks. As will beexplained in greater detail below, in some examples the systemsdescribed herein may identify attempts by processes having unknownreputations to modify and/or delete files. In response, the files inquestion may be backed up in remote storage devices, such as cloud-basedstorage, prior to allowing the processes to delete and/or modify thefiles. If the reputations of the processes are later determined to bemalicious, the processes may be automatically stopped, modificationsmade by the processes may be discarded, and the last-known good versionsof the files may be restored from the remote storage devices.

By doing so, the systems and methods described herein may improve thefunctioning of a computing device, and thus the fields of malwareprotection in general, by providing a method for automaticallyrecovering from and/or mitigating the effects of malware attacks. Thus,the disclosed systems and methods may provide asset protection forcommon targets of malware, such as hospitals, shipping companies,financial companies, governments, etc. by reducing recovery times neededto resume operations. In addition, the systems and methods describedherein may render ransomware useless because an exact replica of aninfected computer is available to recover the infected computer to apoint immediately prior to data being encrypted by the ransomware—thus,no data is lost despite attacks.

The following will provide, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, detaileddescriptions of example systems for automatically recovering frommalware attacks. Detailed descriptions of correspondingcomputer-implemented methods will also be provided in connection withFIG. 3. In addition, detailed descriptions of an example computingsystem and network architecture capable of implementing one or more ofthe embodiments described herein will be provided in connection withFIGS. 4 and 5, respectively.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system 100 for automaticallyrecovering from malware attacks. As illustrated in this figure, examplesystem 100 may include one or more modules 102 for performing one ormore tasks. As will be explained in greater detail below, modules 102may include an identification module 104, a first determination module106, a saving module 108, a second determination module 110, and arestoration module 112. Although illustrated as separate elements, oneor more of modules 102 in FIG. 1 may represent portions of a singlemodule or application.

In certain embodiments, one or more of modules 102 in FIG. 1 mayrepresent one or more software applications or programs that, whenexecuted by one or more computing devices, may cause the one or morecomputing devices to perform one or more tasks. For example, and as willbe described in greater detail below, one or more of modules 102 mayrepresent modules stored and configured to run on one or more computingdevices, such as the devices illustrated in FIG. 2 (e.g., computingdevice 202 and/or server 206). One or more of modules 102 in FIG. 1 mayalso represent all or portions of one or more special-purpose computersconfigured to perform one or more tasks.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, example system 100 may also include one ormore memory devices, such as memory 140. Memory 140 generally representsany type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage device or mediumcapable of storing data and/or computer-readable instructions. In oneexample, memory 140 may store, load, and/or maintain one or more ofmodules 102. Examples of memory 140 include, without limitation, RandomAccess Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, Hard DiskDrives (HDDs), Solid-State Drives (SSDs), optical disk drives, caches,variations or combinations of one or more of the same, and/or any othersuitable storage memory.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, example system 100 may also include one ormore physical processors, such as physical processor 130. Physicalprocessor 130 generally represents any type or form ofhardware-implemented processing unit capable of interpreting and/orexecuting computer-readable instructions. In one example, physicalprocessor 130 may access and/or modify one or more of modules 102 storedin memory 140. Additionally or alternatively, physical processor 130 mayexecute one or more of modules 102 to facilitate automaticallyrecovering from malware attacks. Examples of physical processor 130include, without limitation, microprocessors, microcontrollers, CentralProcessing Units (CPUs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) thatimplement softcore processors, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits(ASICs), portions of one or more of the same, variations or combinationsof one or more of the same, and/or any other suitable physicalprocessor.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, example system 100 may also include one ormore local storage devices 120. Local storage device 120 generallyrepresents any type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage deviceor medium capable of storing data and/or computer-readable instructions.In one example, local storage device 120 may store, load, and/ormaintain one or more of processes 122 and/or files 124. Examples oflocal storage device 120 include, without limitation, Random AccessMemory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, Hard Disk Drives(HDDs), Solid-State Drives (SSDs), optical disk drives, caches,variations or combinations of one or more of the same, and/or any othersuitable storage memory.

Example system 100 in FIG. 1 may be implemented in a variety of ways.For example, all or a portion of example system 100 may representportions of example system 200 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, system 200may include a computing device 202 in communication with a server 206via a network 204, as well as a remote storage device 210 incommunication with network 204 and server 206. In one example, all or aportion of functionality of modules 102 may be performed by computingdevice 202, server 206, and/or any other suitable computing system. Aswill be described in greater detail below, one or more of modules 102from FIG. 1 may, when executed by at least one processor of computingdevice 202 and/or server 206, enable computing device 202 and/or server206 to automatically recover from malware attacks. For example, and aswill be described in greater detail below, one or more of modules 102may cause computing device 202 and/or server 206 to (1) identify, atcomputing device 202 and/or server 206, an attempt by process 122 tomodify file 124; (2) determine that process 122 has an unknownreputation; (3) save, in response to determining that the reputation ofprocess 122 is unknown, a backup copy 212 of file 124 on remote storagedevice 210 prior to allowing process 122 to modify file 124; (4)determine, after process 122 has modified file 124, that process 122 ispotentially malicious; and (5) restore, in response to determining thatprocess 122 is potentially malicious, backup copy 212 of file 124 fromremote storage device 210.

Computing device 202 generally represents any type or form of computingdevice that reads computer-executable instructions. For example,computing device 202 may represent an endpoint device runningclient-side software. Additional examples of computing device 202include, without limitation, laptops, tablets, desktops, servers,cellular phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), multimedia players,embedded systems, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses,etc.), smart vehicles, smart packaging (e.g., active or intelligentpackaging), gaming consoles, Internet-of-Things devices (e.g., smartappliances, etc.), variations or combinations of one or more of thesame, and/or any other suitable computing device.

Network 204 generally represents any medium or architecture capable offacilitating communication or data transfer. In one example, network 204may facilitate communication between computing device 202 and server206. In this example, network 204 may facilitate communication or datatransfer using wireless and/or wired connections. Examples of network204 include, without limitation, an intranet, a Wide Area Network (WAN),a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), the Internet,Power Line Communications (PLC), a cellular network (e.g., a GlobalSystem for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), portions of one or moreof the same, variations or combinations of one or more of the same,and/or any other suitable network.

Server 206 generally represents any type or form of computing devicethat reads computer-executable instructions. For example, server 206 mayrepresent an endpoint device running server-side software, such as areputation server that services processes reputation lookup. Additionalexamples of server 206 include, without limitation, security servers,application servers, web servers, storage servers, and/or databaseservers configured to run certain software applications and/or providevarious security, web, storage, and/or database services. Althoughillustrated as a single entity in FIG. 2, server 206 may include and/orrepresent a plurality of servers that work and/or operate in conjunctionwith one another.

Remote storage device 210 generally represents any type or form ofvolatile or non-volatile storage device or medium capable of storingdata and/or computer-readable instructions. In one example, remotestorage device 210 may store, load, and/or maintain one or more backupcopies 212 of file 124. Examples of remote storage device 210 include,without limitation, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM),flash memory, Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), Solid-State Drives (SSDs),optical disk drives, caches, variations or combinations of one or moreof the same, and/or any other suitable storage memory. In some examples,remote storage device 210 may represent a server or cloud storageaccessed via network 204.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example computer-implemented method 300for automatically recovering from malware attacks. Steps shown in FIG. 3may be performed by any suitable computer-executable code and/orcomputing system, including system 100 in FIG. 1, system 200 in FIG. 2,and/or variations or combinations of one or more of the same. In oneexample, each of the steps shown in FIG. 3 may represent an algorithmwhose structure comprises and/or is represented by multiple sub-steps,examples of which will be provided in greater detail below.

As will be explained in greater detail below, one or more of the systemsdescribed herein may recover and restore computing devices to known-goodstates following malware attacks. For example, modules 102 may, as partof computing device 202 in FIG. 2, identify process 122 as having anunknown reputation and back up file 124 in remote storage device 210 asa backup copy 212 prior to allowing process 122 to delete and/or modifyfile 124. Subsequent to allowing process 122 to delete and/or modifyfile 124, if the reputation of process 122 is later determined to bemalicious, then computing device 202 may terminate process 122 andrestore file 124 with backup copy 212.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, at step 302 one or more of the systemsdescribed herein may identify, at a computing device, an attempt by aprocess to modify at least one file. For example, identification module104 may, as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computing device 202 in FIG.2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, identify process 122 as attempting tomodify and/or delete file 124.

Identification module 104 may detect attempts by processes to modifyfiles in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, identification module104 may monitor access to local storage device 120, memory 140, physicalprocessor 130, and/or network 204. For example, identification module104 may monitor files on local storage device 120 and/or memory 140.Identification module 104 may also monitor processes executed byphysical processor 130.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 304, one or more of systems describedherein may determine that the process has an unknown reputation. Forexample, first determination module 106 may, as part of system 100 inFIG. 1, computing device 202 in FIG. 2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2,identify process 122 as having an unknown reputation.

First determination module 106 may determine the reputation of a processin many different ways. For example, first determination module 106 maydetermine the reputation of an application or process usingsignature-based techniques (by, e.g., checking the application orprocess against a blacklist of known-malicious applications and/or awhitelist of trusted applications), using behavioral heuristics (by,e.g., comparing the behavior of an application or process with thebehavior of known-malicious applications or process), determiningwhether the application or process has been digitally signed by atrusted authority, and/or using any other technique capable ofdetermining whether an application or process is malicious or trusted.

The term “unknown reputation,” as used herein, generally refers to anyapplication, code, script, module, program, executable file, and/orlibrary that has not been verified as trusted or untrusted. In someexamples, an untrusted application may be a newly installed applicationthat has not yet been analyzed by and/or has not been classified as safeby one or more security applications. In some examples, an applicationhaving an unknown reputation may be any application that is not on awhitelist of trusted applications. In addition, an application having anunknown reputation may include an application that has not beendigitally signed by a trusted authority.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 306, one or more of the systems describedherein may save, in response to determining that the reputation of theprocess is unknown, a backup copy of the file targeted by the process ona remote storage device prior to allowing the process to modify and/ordelete the file. Multiple backup copies may be made on different storagedevices to provide redundancy. In some examples, one or more of thesystems described herein may save only important files. For example,saving module 108 may, as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computing device202 in FIG. 2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, save file 124 as backup copy212 on remote storage device 210. After saving module 108 saves file124, process 122 may be allowed to modify and/or delete file 124.

Saving module 108 may save file 124 as backup copy 212 on remote storagedevice 210 in many different ways. In some embodiments, saving module108 may be located on computing device 202 and may store file 124 onremote storage device 210 via network 204 and/or server 206. In otherembodiments, saving module 108 may be located on server 206, retrievefile 124 from computing device 202, and store file 124 on remote storagedevice 210 via network 204. In additional examples, saving module 108may be located on server 206, retrieve file 124 from computing device202, and directly store file 124 on remote storage device 210. In otherembodiments, saving module 108 and file 124 may be located on server206, and saving module 108 may store file 124 on remote storage device210 via network 204. In additional examples, saving module 108 and file124 may be located on server 206, and saving module 108 may directlystore file 124 on remote storage device 210.

In some examples, backup copies of files may be tagged with metadata.This metadata may indicate that the backup copies were created prior toallowing processes with unknown reputations to modify and/or delete thefiles. In some examples, this metadata may indicate specific processesattempting to modify and/or delete the files. For example, saving module108 may, as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computing device 202 in FIG.2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, tag file 124 with metadata indicatingthat backup copy 212 was created prior to allowing process 122 to modifyfile 124. This metadata may include a variety of data, including a filedescription, date of saving, time of saving, etc.

In some examples, modified files 214 created by process 122 may bestored in remote storage device 210. Examples of modified files 214created by process 122 include backups, revisions, etc. In someexamples, modified files 214 may be tagged with metadata that indicatesthe process (e.g., process 122) that modified them. This metadata mayinclude a variety of data, such as a file description, date of saving,time of saving, etc.

In some examples, modified files 214 may be analyzed to assist indetermining the reputation of the process. For example, saving module108 may, as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computing device 202 in FIG.2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, save modified files 214 in remotestorage device 210 after allowing process 122 to modify file 124. If amalware attack is not detected during a safe period, then revisionscreated by process 122 may be merged into the original revision of file124, backup copy 212 may be deleted from remote storage device 210, andprocess 122 may be marked as having a good reputation. In one example,this safe period may be approximately seven days, as a longer period mayraise storage costs, and a shorter period may not provide enough time todetermine the reputation of process 122. Safe periods may also haveother durations, as is practicable. Safe period durations may bedetermined by various methods, such as by using a default time period,by observing the lengths of ransomware attacks, and by the relativeimportance of files affected by the process.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 308, one or more of the systems describedherein may determine, after the process has modified the file, that theprocess is potentially malicious. For example, second determinationmodule 110 may, as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computing device 202 inFIG. 2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, identify process 122 as having aknown reputation as potentially malicious. When process 122 isdetermined to be malicious during the safe period, second determinationmodule 110 may kill process 122, remove executable files associated withprocess 122 from local storage device 120, and/or delete modified files214 created by process 122.

Second determination module 110 may determine the potentially maliciousreputation of process 122 in many different ways. In some embodiments,second determination module 110 may query a reputation server, such asserver 206 in FIG. 2, about the reputation of process 122. Seconddetermination module 110 and/or reputation server may also check theprocess 122 against a whitelist of trusted applications and/or ablacklist of known-malicious applications. Second determination module110 may also use behavioral heuristics (by, e.g., comparing the behaviorof an application or process with the behavior of known-maliciousapplications or process) to determine the reputation of process 122. Inaddition, second determination module 110 and/or reputation server maydetermine whether process 122 has been digitally signed by a trustedauthority.

In some examples, the step of determining the reputation of the processmay occur after a defined period of time. In some embodiments, seconddetermination module 110 may query a reputation server, such as server206 in FIG. 2, about the reputation of process 122.

In some examples, the reputation of the process may be determined fromthe backup copy of the file and/or a process-modified version of thefile. For example, second determination module 110 may analyze backupcopy 212 and modified files 214 to identify the effects of process 122on file 124, and query a reputation server, such as server 206 in FIG.2, about the effects of process 122 on file 124 in order to identify thereputation of process 122.

In some examples, a potential security risk associated with the processmay be identified, based on the reputation of the process, and, inresponse to identifying the potential security risk, a security actionmay be performed in an attempt to ameliorate the potential securityrisk. For example, second determination module 110 may identify apotential security risk associated with process 122 and, in response,perform a security action in an attempt to ameliorate the potentialsecurity risk. The security action may include stopping process 122 andthen triggering restoration module 112 to restore file 124 with backupcopy 212. The security action may also include notifying server 206 thatthe potential security risk is associated with process 122 and/or file124.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 310, one or more of the systems describedherein may restore, in response to determining that the process has areputation of malicious or potentially malicious, the backup copy of thefile from the remote storage device to roll-back the computer system toa known-good state for all files impacted by the process. For example,restoration module 112 may, as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computingdevice 202 in FIG. 2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, retrieve backup copy212 on remote storage device 210 and restore file 124 from backup copy212. After restoration module 112 saves backup copy 212 as file 124,restoration module 112 may delete backup copy 212 from remote storagedevice 210.

In some examples, the backup copy of the file may be tagged withmetadata. As detailed above, this metadata may indicate that the backupcopy of the file was created prior to allowing the process with theunknown reputation to modify the file. Restoration module 112 may then,as part of system 100 in FIG. 1, computing device 202 in FIG. 2, and/orserver 206 in FIG. 2, use the metadata to select backup copy 212 ashaving been created prior to allowing process 122 to modify file 124.This metadata may include data such as a file description, date ofsaving, time of saving, etc.

In some examples, the restoring operation may be automatically performedin response to determining that the process is potentially malicious.For example, restoration module 112 may, as part of system 100 in FIG.1, computing device 202 in FIG. 2, and/or server 206 in FIG. 2, retrievebackup copy 212 on remote storage device 210 and restore file 124 frombackup copy 212 without instructions from a user to do so. In someexamples, restoration module 112 may only automatically restore filesimpacted by process 122 when there is a high certainty that process 122is malicious.

In other embodiments, the restoring operation may not be performedautomatically, and a user may be prompted for permission to restorebackup copy 212. For example, restoration module 112 may, as part ofsystem 100 in FIG. 1, computing device 202 in FIG. 2, and/or server 206in FIG. 2, prompt a user for permission to retrieve backup copy 212 onremote storage device 210 and restore file 124 from backup copy 212. Insome examples, restoration module 112 may only prompt a user forpermission to restore backup copy 212 when there is a high certaintyprocess 122 is malicious.

As detailed above, the steps outlined in method 300 in FIG. 3 may enablecomputing devices to be automatically recovered and restored toknown-good states following malware attacks, such as ransomware attacks.For example, prior to allowing a process to modify a file, the systemsdescribed herein may identify back up the file in question to a remotestorage device. If the reputation of the process is later determined tobe malicious, the process may be automatically stopped, modificationsmade by the process may be discarded, and the last known-good version ofthe file may be restored from the remote storage device. By doing so,the systems and methods described herein may improve the state ofsecurity of the computing device in question, potentially resulting insignificant time and/or monetary savings.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example computing system 410 capable ofimplementing one or more of the embodiments described and/or illustratedherein. For example, all or a portion of computing system 410 mayperform and/or be a means for performing, either alone or in combinationwith other elements, one or more of the steps described herein (such asone or more of the steps illustrated in FIG. 3). All or a portion ofcomputing system 410 may also perform and/or be a means for performingany other steps, methods, or processes described and/or illustratedherein.

Computing system 410 broadly represents any single or multi-processorcomputing device or system capable of executing computer-readableinstructions. Examples of computing system 410 include, withoutlimitation, workstations, laptops, client-side terminals, servers,distributed computing systems, handheld devices, or any other computingsystem or device. In its most basic configuration, computing system 410may include at least one processor 414 and a system memory 416.

Processor 414 generally represents any type or form of physicalprocessing unit (e.g., a hardware-implemented central processing unit)capable of processing data or interpreting and executing instructions.In certain embodiments, processor 414 may receive instructions from asoftware application or module. These instructions may cause processor414 to perform the functions of one or more of the example embodimentsdescribed and/or illustrated herein.

System memory 416 generally represents any type or form of volatile ornon-volatile storage device or medium capable of storing data and/orother computer-readable instructions. Examples of system memory 416include, without limitation, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read OnlyMemory (ROM), flash memory, or any other suitable memory device.Although not required, in certain embodiments computing system 410 mayinclude both a volatile memory unit (such as, for example, system memory416) and a non-volatile storage device (such as, for example, primarystorage device 432, as described in detail below). In one example, oneor more of modules 102 from FIG. 1 may be loaded into system memory 416.

In some examples, system memory 416 may store and/or load an operatingsystem 440 for execution by processor 414. In one example, operatingsystem 440 may include and/or represent software that manages computerhardware and software resources and/or provides common services tocomputer programs and/or applications on computing system 410. Examplesof operating system 440 include, without limitation, LINUX, JUNOS,MICROSOFT WINDOWS, WINDOWS MOBILE, MAC OS, APPLE'S IOS, UNIX, GOOGLECHROME OS, GOOGLE'S ANDROID, SOLARIS, variations of one or more of thesame, and/or any other suitable operating system.

In certain embodiments, example computing system 410 may also includeone or more components or elements in addition to processor 414 andsystem memory 416. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, computingsystem 410 may include a memory controller 418, an Input/Output (I/O)controller 420, and a communication interface 422, each of which may beinterconnected via a communication infrastructure 412. Communicationinfrastructure 412 generally represents any type or form ofinfrastructure capable of facilitating communication between one or morecomponents of a computing device. Examples of communicationinfrastructure 412 include, without limitation, a communication bus(such as an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Peripheral ComponentInterconnect (PCI), PCI Express (PCIe), or similar bus) and a network.

Memory controller 418 generally represents any type or form of devicecapable of handling memory or data or controlling communication betweenone or more components of computing system 410. For example, in certainembodiments memory controller 418 may control communication betweenprocessor 414, system memory 416, and I/O controller 420 viacommunication infrastructure 412.

I/O controller 420 generally represents any type or form of modulecapable of coordinating and/or controlling the input and outputfunctions of a computing device. For example, in certain embodiments I/Ocontroller 420 may control or facilitate transfer of data between one ormore elements of computing system 410, such as processor 414, systemmemory 416, communication interface 422, display adapter 426, inputinterface 430, and storage interface 434.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, computing system 410 may also include at leastone display device 424 coupled to I/O controller 420 via a displayadapter 426. Display device 424 generally represents any type or form ofdevice capable of visually displaying information forwarded by displayadapter 426. Similarly, display adapter 426 generally represents anytype or form of device configured to forward graphics, text, and otherdata from communication infrastructure 412 (or from a frame buffer, asknown in the art) for display on display device 424.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, example computing system 410 may also includeat least one input device 428 coupled to I/O controller 420 via an inputinterface 430. Input device 428 generally represents any type or form ofinput device capable of providing input, either computer or humangenerated, to example computing system 410. Examples of input device 428include, without limitation, a keyboard, a pointing device, a speechrecognition device, variations or combinations of one or more of thesame, and/or any other input device.

Additionally or alternatively, example computing system 410 may includeadditional I/O devices. For example, example computing system 410 mayinclude I/O device 436. In this example, I/O device 436 may includeand/or represent a user interface that facilitates human interactionwith computing system 410. Examples of I/O device 436 include, withoutlimitation, a computer mouse, a keyboard, a monitor, a printer, a modem,a camera, a scanner, a microphone, a touchscreen device, variations orcombinations of one or more of the same, and/or any other I/O device.

Communication interface 422 broadly represents any type or form ofcommunication device or adapter capable of facilitating communicationbetween example computing system 410 and one or more additional devices.For example, in certain embodiments communication interface 422 mayfacilitate communication between computing system 410 and a private orpublic network including additional computing systems. Examples ofcommunication interface 422 include, without limitation, a wired networkinterface (such as a network interface card), a wireless networkinterface (such as a wireless network interface card), a modem, and anyother suitable interface. In at least one embodiment, communicationinterface 422 may provide a direct connection to a remote server via adirect link to a network, such as the Internet. Communication interface422 may also indirectly provide such a connection through, for example,a local area network (such as an Ethernet network), a personal areanetwork, a telephone or cable network, a cellular telephone connection,a satellite data connection, or any other suitable connection.

In certain embodiments, communication interface 422 may also represent ahost adapter configured to facilitate communication between computingsystem 410 and one or more additional network or storage devices via anexternal bus or communications channel. Examples of host adaptersinclude, without limitation, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) hostadapters, Universal Serial Bus (USB) host adapters, Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 host adapters, AdvancedTechnology Attachment (ATA), Parallel ATA (PATA), Serial ATA (SATA), andExternal SATA (eSATA) host adapters, Fibre Channel interface adapters,Ethernet adapters, or the like. Communication interface 422 may alsoallow computing system 410 to engage in distributed or remote computing.For example, communication interface 422 may receive instructions from aremote device or send instructions to a remote device for execution.

In some examples, system memory 416 may store and/or load a networkcommunication program 438 for execution by processor 414. In oneexample, network communication program 438 may include and/or representsoftware that enables computing system 410 to establish a networkconnection 442 with another computing system (not illustrated in FIG. 4)and/or communicate with the other computing system by way ofcommunication interface 422. In this example, network communicationprogram 438 may direct the flow of outgoing traffic that is sent to theother computing system via network connection 442. Additionally oralternatively, network communication program 438 may direct theprocessing of incoming traffic that is received from the other computingsystem via network connection 442 in connection with processor 414.

Although not illustrated in this way in FIG. 4, network communicationprogram 438 may alternatively be stored and/or loaded in communicationinterface 422. For example, network communication program 438 mayinclude and/or represent at least a portion of software and/or firmwarethat is executed by a processor and/or Application Specific IntegratedCircuit (ASIC) incorporated in communication interface 422.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, example computing system 410 may also includea primary storage device 432 and a backup storage device 433 coupled tocommunication infrastructure 412 via a storage interface 434. Storagedevices 432 and 433 generally represent any type or form of storagedevice or medium capable of storing data and/or other computer-readableinstructions. For example, storage devices 432 and 433 may be a magneticdisk drive (e.g., a so-called hard drive), a solid state drive, a floppydisk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash drive,or the like. Storage interface 434 generally represents any type or formof interface or device for transferring data between storage devices 432and 433 and other components of computing system 410. In one example,process 122 and/or file 124 from FIG. 1 may be stored and/or loaded inprimary storage device 432.

In certain embodiments, storage devices 432 and 433 may be configured toread from and/or write to a removable storage unit configured to storecomputer software, data, or other computer-readable information.Examples of suitable removable storage units include, withoutlimitation, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a flashmemory device, or the like. Storage devices 432 and 433 may also includeother similar structures or devices for allowing computer software,data, or other computer-readable instructions to be loaded intocomputing system 410. For example, storage devices 432 and 433 may beconfigured to read and write software, data, or other computer-readableinformation. Storage devices 432 and 433 may also be a part of computingsystem 410 or may be a separate device accessed through other interfacesystems.

Many other devices or subsystems may be connected to computing system410. Conversely, all of the components and devices illustrated in FIG. 4need not be present to practice the embodiments described and/orillustrated herein. The devices and subsystems referenced above may alsobe interconnected in different ways from that shown in FIG. 4. Computingsystem 410 may also employ any number of software, firmware, and/orhardware configurations. For example, one or more of the exampleembodiments disclosed herein may be encoded as a computer program (alsoreferred to as computer software, software applications,computer-readable instructions, or computer control logic) on acomputer-readable medium. The term “computer-readable medium,” as usedherein, generally refers to any form of device, carrier, or mediumcapable of storing or carrying computer-readable instructions. Examplesof computer-readable media include, without limitation,transmission-type media, such as carrier waves, and non-transitory-typemedia, such as magnetic-storage media (e.g., hard disk drives, tapedrives, and floppy disks), optical-storage media (e.g., Compact Disks(CDs), Digital Video Disks (DVDs), and BLU-RAY disks),electronic-storage media (e.g., solid-state drives and flash media), andother distribution systems.

The computer-readable medium containing the computer program may beloaded into computing system 410. All or a portion of the computerprogram stored on the computer-readable medium may then be stored insystem memory 416 and/or various portions of storage devices 432 and433. The storage device 632 may store the process 122 and/or the file124. When executed by processor 414, a computer program loaded intocomputing system 410 may cause processor 414 to perform and/or be ameans for performing the functions of one or more of the exampleembodiments described and/or illustrated herein. Additionally oralternatively, one or more of the example embodiments described and/orillustrated herein may be implemented in firmware and/or hardware. Forexample, computing system 410 may be configured as an ApplicationSpecific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) adapted to implement one or more ofthe example embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example network architecture 500 inwhich client systems 510, 520, and 530 and servers 540 and 545 may becoupled to a network 550. As detailed above, all or a portion of networkarchitecture 500 may perform and/or be a means for performing, eitheralone or in combination with other elements, one or more of the stepsdisclosed herein (such as one or more of the steps illustrated in FIG.3). All or a portion of network architecture 500 may also be used toperform and/or be a means for performing other steps and features setforth in the instant disclosure.

Client systems 510, 520, and 530 generally represent any type or form ofcomputing device or system, such as example computing system 410 in FIG.4. Similarly, servers 540 and 545 generally represent computing devicesor systems, such as application servers or database servers, configuredto provide various database services and/or run certain softwareapplications. Network 550 generally represents any telecommunication orcomputer network including, for example, an intranet, a WAN, a LAN, aPAN, or the Internet. In one example, client systems 510, 520, and/or530 and/or servers 540 and/or 545 may include all or a portion of system100 from FIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, one or more storage devices 560(1)-(N) may bedirectly attached to server 540. Similarly, one or more storage devices570(1)-(N) may be directly attached to server 545. Storage devices560(1)-(N) and storage devices 570(1)-(N) generally represent any typeor form of storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or othercomputer-readable instructions. In certain embodiments, storage devices560(1)-(N) and storage devices 570(1)-(N) may represent Network-AttachedStorage (NAS) devices configured to communicate with servers 540 and 545using various protocols, such as Network File System (NFS), ServerMessage Block (SMB), or Common Internet File System (CIFS).

Servers 540 and 545 may also be connected to a Storage Area Network(SAN) fabric 580. SAN fabric 580 generally represents any type or formof computer network or architecture capable of facilitatingcommunication between a plurality of storage devices. SAN fabric 580 mayfacilitate communication between servers 540 and 545 and a plurality ofstorage devices 590(1)-(N) and/or an intelligent storage array 595. SANfabric 580 may also facilitate, via network 550 and servers 540 and 545,communication between client systems 510, 520, and 530 and storagedevices 590(1)-(N) and/or intelligent storage array 595 in such a mannerthat devices 590(1)-(N) and array 595 appear as locally attached devicesto client systems 510, 520, and 530. As with storage devices 560(1)-(N)and storage devices 570(1)-(N), storage devices 590(1)-(N) andintelligent storage array 595 generally represent any type or form ofstorage device or medium capable of storing data and/or othercomputer-readable instructions.

In certain embodiments, and with reference to example computing system410 of FIG. 4, a communication interface, such as communicationinterface 422 in FIG. 4, may be used to provide connectivity betweeneach client system 510, 520, and 530 and network 550. Client systems510, 520, and 530 may be able to access information on server 540 or 545using, for example, a web browser or other client software. Suchsoftware may allow client systems 510, 520, and 530 to access datahosted by server 540, server 545, storage devices 560(1)-(N), storagedevices 570(1)-(N), storage devices 590(1)-(N), or intelligent storagearray 595. Although FIG. 5 depicts the use of a network (such as theInternet) for exchanging data, the embodiments described and/orillustrated herein are not limited to the Internet or any particularnetwork-based environment.

In at least one embodiment, all or a portion of one or more of theexample embodiments disclosed herein may be encoded as a computerprogram and loaded onto and executed by server 540, server 545, storagedevices 560(1)-(N), storage devices 570(1)-(N), storage devices590(1)-(N), intelligent storage array 595, or any combination thereof.All or a portion of one or more of the example embodiments disclosedherein may also be encoded as a computer program, stored in server 540,run by server 545, and distributed to client systems 510, 520, and 530over network 550.

As detailed above, computing system 410 and/or one or more components ofnetwork architecture 500 may perform and/or be a means for performing,either alone or in combination with other elements, one or more steps ofan example method for automatically recovering from malware attacks.

While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various embodiments usingspecific block diagrams, flowcharts, and examples, each block diagramcomponent, flowchart step, operation, and/or component described and/orillustrated herein may be implemented, individually and/or collectively,using a wide range of hardware, software, or firmware (or anycombination thereof) configurations. In addition, any disclosure ofcomponents contained within other components should be consideredexample in nature since many other architectures may be implemented toachieve the same functionality.

In some examples, all or a portion of example system 100 in FIG. 1 mayrepresent portions of a cloud-computing or network-based environment.Cloud-computing environments may provide various services andapplications via the Internet. These cloud-based services (e.g.,software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as aservice, etc.) may be accessible through a web browser or other remoteinterface. Various functions described herein may be provided through aremote desktop environment or any other cloud-based computingenvironment.

In various embodiments, all or a portion of example system 100 in FIG. 1may facilitate multi-tenancy within a cloud-based computing environment.In other words, the software modules described herein may configure acomputing system (e.g., a server) to facilitate multi-tenancy for one ormore of the functions described herein. For example, one or more of thesoftware modules described herein may program a server to enable two ormore clients (e.g., customers) to share an application that is runningon the server. A server programmed in this manner may share anapplication, operating system, processing system, and/or storage systemamong multiple customers (i.e., tenants). One or more of the modulesdescribed herein may also partition data and/or configurationinformation of a multi-tenant application for each customer such thatone customer cannot access data and/or configuration information ofanother customer.

According to various embodiments, all or a portion of example system 100in FIG. 1 may be implemented within a virtual environment. For example,the modules and/or data described herein may reside and/or executewithin a virtual machine. As used herein, the term “virtual machine”generally refers to any operating system environment that is abstractedfrom computing hardware by a virtual machine manager (e.g., ahypervisor). Additionally or alternatively, the modules and/or datadescribed herein may reside and/or execute within a virtualizationlayer. As used herein, the term “virtualization layer” generally refersto any data layer and/or application layer that overlays and/or isabstracted from an operating system environment. A virtualization layermay be managed by a software virtualization solution (e.g., a filesystem filter) that presents the virtualization layer as though it werepart of an underlying base operating system. For example, a softwarevirtualization solution may redirect calls that are initially directedto locations within a base file system and/or registry to locationswithin a virtualization layer.

In some examples, all or a portion of example system 100 in FIG. 1 mayrepresent portions of a mobile computing environment. Mobile computingenvironments may be implemented by a wide range of mobile computingdevices, including mobile phones, tablet computers, e-book readers,personal digital assistants, wearable computing devices (e.g., computingdevices with a head-mounted display, smartwatches, etc.), and the like.In some examples, mobile computing environments may have one or moredistinct features, including, for example, reliance on battery power,presenting only one foreground application at any given time, remotemanagement features, touchscreen features, location and movement data(e.g., provided by Global Positioning Systems, gyroscopes,accelerometers, etc.), restricted platforms that restrict modificationsto system-level configurations and/or that limit the ability ofthird-party software to inspect the behavior of other applications,controls to restrict the installation of applications (e.g., to onlyoriginate from approved application stores), etc. Various functionsdescribed herein may be provided for a mobile computing environmentand/or may interact with a mobile computing environment.

In addition, all or a portion of example system 100 in FIG. 1 mayrepresent portions of, interact with, consume data produced by, and/orproduce data consumed by one or more systems for information management.As used herein, the term “information management” may refer to theprotection, organization, and/or storage of data. Examples of systemsfor information management may include, without limitation, storagesystems, backup systems, archival systems, replication systems, highavailability systems, data search systems, virtualization systems, andthe like.

In some embodiments, all or a portion of example system 100 in FIG. 1may represent portions of, produce data protected by, and/or communicatewith one or more systems for information security. As used herein, theterm “information security” may refer to the control of access toprotected data. Examples of systems for information security mayinclude, without limitation, systems providing managed securityservices, data loss prevention systems, identity authentication systems,access control systems, encryption systems, policy compliance systems,intrusion detection and prevention systems, electronic discoverysystems, and the like.

According to some examples, all or a portion of example system 100 inFIG. 1 may represent portions of, communicate with, and/or receiveprotection from one or more systems for endpoint security. As usedherein, the term “endpoint security” may refer to the protection ofendpoint systems from unauthorized and/or illegitimate use, access,and/or control. Examples of systems for endpoint protection may include,without limitation, anti-malware systems, user authentication systems,encryption systems, privacy systems, spam-filtering services, and thelike.

The process parameters and sequence of steps described and/orillustrated herein are given by way of example only and may be varied asdesired. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or describedherein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps donot necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated ordiscussed. The various example methods described and/or illustratedherein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustratedherein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.

While various embodiments have been described and/or illustrated hereinin the context of fully functional computing systems, one or more ofthese example embodiments may be distributed as a program product in avariety of forms, regardless of the particular type of computer-readablemedia used to actually carry out the distribution. The embodimentsdisclosed herein may also be implemented using software modules thatperform certain tasks. These software modules may include script, batch,or other executable files that may be stored on a computer-readablestorage medium or in a computing system. In some embodiments, thesesoftware modules may configure a computing system to perform one or moreof the example embodiments disclosed herein.

In addition, one or more of the modules described herein may transformdata, physical devices, and/or representations of physical devices fromone form to another. For example, one or more of the modules recitedherein may, such as during restoring of a backup copy of a file from aremote storage device, receive data to be transformed, transform thedata, and store the result of the transformation to a storage device.Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the modules recited hereinmay transform a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and/orany other portion of a physical computing device from one form toanother by executing on the computing device, storing data on thecomputing device, and/or otherwise interacting with the computingdevice.

The preceding description has been provided to enable others skilled inthe art to best utilize various aspects of the example embodimentsdisclosed herein. This example description is not intended to beexhaustive or to be limited to any precise form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations are possible without departing from thespirit and scope of the instant disclosure. The embodiments disclosedherein should be considered in all respects illustrative and notrestrictive. Reference should be made to the appended claims and theirequivalents in determining the scope of the instant disclosure.

Unless otherwise noted, the terms “connected to” and “coupled to” (andtheir derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are to beconstrued as permitting both direct and indirect (i.e., via otherelements or components) connection. In addition, the terms “a” or “an,”as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as meaning“at least one of.” Finally, for ease of use, the terms “including” and“having” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification andclaims, are interchangeable with and have the same meaning as the word“comprising.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for automaticallyrecovering from malware attacks, at least a portion of the method beingperformed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, themethod comprising: identifying, at the computing device, an attempt by aprocess to modify a file; determining that the process has an unknownreputation; saving, in response to determining that the reputation ofthe process is unknown, a backup copy of the file on a remote storagedevice prior to allowing the process to modify the file; determining,after the process has modified the file, after a defined period of timefollowing saving the backup copy of the file, and from the backup copyof the file, that the process is potentially malicious, wherein thedefined period of time is based on observed lengths of ransomwareattacks; and restoring, in response to determining that the process ispotentially malicious, the backup copy of the file from the remotestorage device.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: taggingthe backup copy of the file with metadata that indicates that the backupcopy of the file was created prior to allowing the process with theunknown reputation to modify the file; and selecting, based on themetadata, the backup copy of the file for restoring the computingdevice.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising marking, when amalware attack is not detected during a safe period, the process ashaving a good reputation.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdetermining the process is potentially malicious from a process-modifiedversion of the file.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdeleting, responsive to identifying the reputation of the process, aprocess-modified version of the file.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinthe restoring is automatic in response to determining that the processis potentially malicious.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprisingprompting a user for permission to restore the backup copy of the file.8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying, based on thereputation of the process, a potential security risk associated with theprocess; and performing, in response to identifying the potentialsecurity risk, a security action in an attempt to ameliorate thepotential security risk.
 9. A system for automatically recovering frommalware attacks, the system comprising: a memory device; an identifyingmodule, stored in the memory device, that identifies an attempt by aprocess to modify a file; a first determining module, stored in thememory device, that determines that the process has an unknownreputation; a saving module, stored in the memory device, that saves, inresponse to determining that the reputation of the process is unknown, abackup copy of the file on a remote storage device prior to allowing theprocess to modify the file; a second determining module, stored in thememory device, that determines, after the process has modified the file,after a defined period of time following saving the backup copy of thefile, and from the backup copy of the file, that the process ispotentially malicious, wherein the defined period of time is based onobserved lengths of ransomware attacks; a restoring module, stored inthe memory device, that restores, in response to determining that theprocess is potentially malicious, the backup copy of the file from theremote storage device; and at least one physical processor that executesthe identifying module, the first determining module, the saving module,the second determining module, and the restoring module.
 10. The systemof claim 9, further comprising: a tagging module, stored in the memorydevice, that tags the backup copy of the file with metadata thatindicates that the backup copy of the file was created prior to allowingthe process with the unknown reputation to modify the file; and aselecting module, stored in the memory device, that selects, based onthe metadata, the backup copy of the file for restoring the system. 11.The system of claim 9, wherein the second determining module marks, whena malware attack is not detected during a safe period, the process ashaving a good reputation.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the seconddetermining module determines the process is potentially malicious froma process-modified version of the file.
 13. The system of claim 9,further comprising a deleting module, stored in the memory device, thatdeletes, responsive to identifying the reputation of the process, aprocess-modified version of the file.
 14. The system of claim 9, whereinthe restoring module automatically restores the backup copy of the filefrom the remote storage device in response to determining that theprocess is potentially malicious.
 15. The system of claim 9, furthercomprising a prompting module, stored in the memory device, that promptsa user for permission to restore the backup copy of the file.
 16. Thesystem of claim 9, further comprising: a second identifying module,stored in the memory device, that identifies, based on the reputation ofthe process, a potential security risk associated with the process; anda performing module, stored in the memory device, that performs, inresponse to identifying the potential security risk, a security actionin an attempt to ameliorate the potential security risk.
 17. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or morecomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least oneprocessor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:identify, at the computing device, an attempt by a process to modify afile; determine that the process has an unknown reputation; save, inresponse to determining that the reputation of the process is unknown, abackup copy of the file on a remote storage device prior to allowing theprocess to modify the file; determine, after the process has modifiedthe file, after a defined period of time following saving the backupcopy of the file, and from the backup copy of the file, that the processis potentially malicious, wherein the defined period of time is based onobserved lengths of ransomware attacks; and restore, in response todetermining that the process is potentially malicious, the backup copyof the file from the remote storage device.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising one or morecomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor of the computing device, cause the computing device to mark,when a malware attack is not detected during a safe period, the processas having a good reputation.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions thatcause the computing device to restore the backup copy of the file fromthe remote storage device comprise computer-executable instructions tocause the computing device to automatically restore the backup copy ofthe file from the remote storage device in response to determining thatthe process is potentially malicious.
 20. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising one or morecomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor of the computing device, cause the computing device to delete,responsive to identifying the reputation of the process, aprocess-modified version of the file.